Broken Dance (Beatboxed) is an exhibition of new work by celebrated contemporary artist Shaun Gladwell. This is the first solo exhibition of the artist’s work at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Shaun Gladwell’s new work, Broken Dance (Beatboxed), features renowned beat-boxers and break-dancers from London where he is currently based. The exhibition presents a dual-channel video installation. One channel focuses on the vocal percussions of a beat-boxer, while the other shows the virtuosic motions of dancers who merge the genres of break-dancing, krumping and whacking. In synchronisation, these videos connect two performances occurring in different times and locations. In addition, the exhibition includes two small paintings of the cameras used to make the video, which are overlaid with graffiti.

Gladwell is best known for his mesmerising video studies of the body in motion, set against the backdrop of specific sites that range from gritty, urban environments to remote, vast landscapes. Often these works draw upon the extreme movements associated with street cultures, such as skateboarding and BMX riding, depicting improvised and choreographed performances manipulated to distort the effects of speed and gravity.

Shaun Gladwell has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally since 2000. In 2009 he represented Australia at the Venice Biennale and travelled to Afghanistan as the official Australian war artist. A number of Gladwell’s significant video works are held in the Art Gallery of NSW collection.

Saturday 1 September 2012, 1pm – Shaun Gladwell discusses his practice and new work Broken Dance (Beatboxed), on display in the AGNSW Contemporary Project Space.

AGNSW Contemporary Projects are supported by Andrew Cameron.